Chapter 52 Chapter 52

Chapter 52 Chapter 52


RUBY

"You okay?" Sebastian glanced over at me.

It wasn’t the first time he had asked. In fact, I had lost count of how many times he had checked on me.

I had a headache, but I forced a smile. "Yea."

When his eyes diverted to Warren’s jacket beside me, his lips parted as if he wanted to say something, but he didn’t. Instead, he refocused on the road.

I sighed. The warmth of the car’s heater eased the cold from my skin, but it did nothing to dull the pounding in my head.

When I smelled another scent mixed with Sebastian's as he carried me out of the pool area, I knew instantly that it belonged to Warren.

Even though it was faint, I could tell it irritated Sebastian.

Sebastian had never given me cold glares before until today. That's why I didn't hesitate to shrug off warren's jacket.

He was jealous. And I didn’t think it was just an act anymore.

For a while, I had convinced myself that everything was part of the contract. That he was just playing his role, pretending to be possessive so others would believe our story. But lately, I had been noticing the way he looked at me, especially when Aiden was around.

And somehow, I liked seeing Sebastian that way.

Sebastian may not have been my fated mate, but at least I had someone who cared. Someone who would fight for me, protect me, and put himself in harm’s way if it meant keeping me safe.

"I'm happy he's taking care of you more than I can," my wolf purred, and I smiled faintly.

As I stared at Sebastian, I couldn't help but wonder what was going on inside his head.

I knew he was still angry—angry at Lizzy, at Warren. But more than that, he was angry at himself. Angry that he hadn’t been the one to save me.

I understood him.

But seeing him like this made me wonder… what if we were truly mates?

The thought was ridiculous, and yet I couldn’t shake it.

I didn’t like the way Warren looked at me, either. There was something unsettling about it, something that made my stomach twist in ways I didn’t like. And the worst part? His eyes looked familiar.

I had been trying to place them in my mind, trying to remember where I had seen them before. And then, as I glanced at the rearview mirror, it hit me.

The old man.

The man who had almost kidnapped me.

Even as the memory surfaced, I shook my head, trying to convince myself it wasn’t possible. Warren was younger than that driver. He looked nothing like him.

And yet, those eyes…

“You okay?” Sebastian’s voice pulled me back, and I blinked, realizing we were almost at the gate.

I nodded slowly, forcing a small smile. “Yeah.”

Sebastian didn’t seem convinced, but he didn’t push me. I didn't want to tell about my headache because he was still angry at himself.

When he parked the car, he turned to me. “Wait here.”

I barely had time to respond before he stepped out, rounding the car to my side. He pulled the door open and leaned down, his arms sliding under me.

I sighed. “Sebastian, I can walk, you know.”

“I know. But you almost drowned, Ruby. Let me take care of you,” he said firmly.

I wanted to argue, but truthfully, I didn’t mind being in his arms.

But there was one problem.

I was too close to his throat.

I swallowed hard, trying not to stare at the exposed skin just inches from my face. My heart pounded, and I had to remind myself to breathe.

As he carried me into the house, Noelle greeted us.

“Welcome back, Alpha, Luna…”

“Prepare hot tea. Hot coffee. Anything hot for Ruby,” Sebastian said without stopping, carrying me toward the stairs.

“Yes, Alpha,” Noelle replied quickly.

I sighed, resting my head against his chest as he carried me upstairs.

When we reached my bedroom, Sebastian kicked the door open and stepped inside.

“You can put me down now,” I said, though I wasn’t entirely sure I wanted him to.

“No. Not until I take you to the bathroom.”

My eyes widened slightly. “What?”

Did he… did he want to bathe me?

Sebastian didn’t respond, and suddenly, I felt nervous as he carried me inside the bathroom.

He settled me down on the sink, standing between my legs as he brushed my wet hair from my face. My cheeks flushed red, his warm breath fanning against my skin.

“I promised to protect you, but I failed you today… I’m sorry,” Sebastian said, his eyes locked onto mine.

Sorry again?

How many times would he say it before he stopped blaming himself?

“You didn’t fail me, Seb. You never did. You didn’t know where I was, that’s the only reason you didn’t come in time.” I spoke softly, trying not to let our proximity fluster me.

“It will never happen again.”

His lips curved into a small smile before he kissed my forehead.

I sighed, my heart hammering as he lingered there for a moment before pulling away just enough to look at my face.

“I’m not going to let Lizzy get away with this,” he said, his tone filled with resolve.

It almost sounded like he was asking for my permission to deal with her.

I didn’t care anymore. I had tolerated Lizzy’s cruelty long enough.

I nodded slightly, and sebastian flashed me a small smile.

“I’ll prepare a warm bath for you.”

His voice was rough, like he was forcing himself to focus on something else.

I swallowed hard as I watched him turn away to prepare warm water in the tub.

Steam curled into the air, and when he finally turned back to me, his brows lifted slightly.

"You haven’t taken them off yet."

Huh? My eyes grew wide.

I was supposed to undress?

My cheeks burned as I quickly looked away.

Sebastian had seen my down part before but I had never been completely naked in front of him.

"Do you want me to help you?"

My head snapped up, and I shook it so fast I probably looked ridiculous.

"No," I said quickly. "I can do it myself."

His lips twitched slightly, but he nodded and walked closer.

His hands slid to my waist, lifting me from the sink and placing me on my feet. A tingling sensation danced through me even as he took a step back.

"You want me to leave?" He said, studying my wet clothes. I could see his eyes flashed with hunger he was trying to suppress.

I didn’t answer.

"Okay," he murmured.

"I’ll wait for you in the bedroom."

I should have let him go but before I could stop myself, I reached up and pressed my lips to his.

Sebastian stiffened for a second before pulling me closer, deepening the kiss.

As I pulled away, meeting his gaze, I whispered, "Thank you, Seb"

"I didn't..."

I cut him off with another kiss, and he tightened his arms around my waist, kissing me back.

He gently sucked on my bottom lip, dragging his teeth across it, waking every nerve ending in my body and stuttering my breath.

“Ruby.” He whispered, consuming me with deft strokes of his tongue along mine, claiming to every inch of my mouth and wrecking my carefully constructed world.

His hand skimmed under my dress, gliding along my outer thigh before grasping my hip, pulling me tighter against him. Oh Goddess.

He was hard and hot right there.

“Sebas...” I whimpered but before I could say more, Noelle's voice echoed from the bedroom.

"Luna Ruby, I brought tea!"

At the sound of her voice, I broke apart from Sebastian, my breath still uneven from the kiss we had just shared. He didn’t look away from me, his hands still resting on my waist as if he wasn’t ready to let go.

I swallowed, stepping back slightly. “Sebastian, I—”

His fingers brushed my chin, tilting my face up to him. “Get in the bath before it gets cold,” he said, his voice calm but firm. “I’ll be waiting for you.”

I nodded, unable to say anything else. He hesitated for a second before finally stepping back. As he walked to the door, I stared at him, watching the way his broad shoulders moved as he opened it and stepped out, closing it behind him.

“Noelle, thank you,” Sebastian said. “Ruby’s in the bathroom.”

“Should I leave the tea here, Alpha?”

“Yes. I’ll take care of her.”

I sighed, stripping out of my wet dress and dropping it onto the sink as I turn back toward the mirror. My reflection stared back at me, my damp hair hanging around my face, my cheeks still flushed from the heat of Sebastian’s touch.

But something else caught my attention. A faint blue light pulsed from the gemstone in my necklace.

I frowned.

It wasn’t the first time I had seen it glow, but I had never understood why it did.

I had wanted to tell Cassie about it. Or maybe even Sebastian. But my mother had made me promised never to show it to anyone since the day she gave it to me.

Running my fingers over the metal intricate loops that caged the gemstone, I gripped it between my thumb and forefinger. Why did she tell me to keep it hidden?

“Ruby, I'm heading downstairs. Don’t take too long to be out or your tea will get cold.” Sebastian’s voic
e cut through my thoughts.

I let out a slow breath, releasing the pendant and turning to the tub.

Stepping into the warm water, the heat wrapped around me, soothing the aching muscles in my body. I sank deeper, letting the heat soak into my skin, washing away the chill from earlier.

I closed my eyes, allowing myself a moment of peace. But my thoughts refused to settle.

Lizzy.

Sebastian.

Warren.

The glowing gemstone.

Too many things swirled through my head, and I hated that I didn’t have answers for any of them.